Sage's Return
by Senge Waber
Summary: After the Goddess' war, Soren and Ike left for a distant land. That land was Japan, 600 years ago. Now, all alone, Soren has decided to make a new friend, and that person just happens to be Negi Springfield. No Yaoi.
1. Sage's Return

**Sage's Return**

Soren had remained distant from humanity for far too long.

After Ashera's death, he had journeyed with Ike to a distant land, that of Japan.

...That, was 600 years ago. Ike had eventually died of old age, and Soren had no ties to anyone anymore. He lived as a hermit, out in the wilderness for the rest of those 550 years, not appearing a day older than when he left Tellius.

And now, he was preparing to reach out to people once more, solitude finally boring him.

.

He was dressed in his Archsage attire, feeling that it would impress people, and make them keep their distance. He needed to get used to his surroundings, after all. He saw a lot of people cramming themselves into some sort of carriage, and watched in curiosity. The doors closed, and it moved faster than a raven could escape.

_High speed transport...I see..._ Soren watched it go, and walked in the direction the carriage went.

.

He arrived at a train station just as the next train pulled in, spilling outrageous amounts of high school students who ran for the complex just outside. Soren noted they all wore the same thing, a uniform with 'Mahora Academy' written on it. Soren blinked, and walked onto the grounds.

Soren noticed someone else running towards the academy, however seemed very out of place. He was younger than the other attendees, and he had something larger than himself 'hidden' on his back.

The boy slowed down as he approached. "Hi! I'm Negi Springfield! What's your name?"

Soren blinked twice. _Two names? What could I use as my second name? Can't use my father's...disgusting brute...my mother's is awkward, and my grandfather is well known, last I knew...Nasir._ Soren blinked once more, collecting his thoughts. "Soren Nasir."

Negi beamed. He'd made a friend already! "Nice to meet you, Soren. I'm in a bit of a hurry, so, I'll see you later!" Negi began to wave, before Soren caught up to him with practiced (although rusty) ease.

"Would you mind if I accompanied you?" Soren asked politely.

Negi blanched. A complete stranger was keeping up with his magically enhanced speed! "Uh, no, not at all!"

They made their way to the headmaster's office.

.

"I see, your training was to come to Japan as a teacher...They've given you quite a task..." The headmaster stroked his beard.

_A teacher? The students seemed older than he is... _Soren glanced at Negi.

"Y-yes, it's nice to meet you." Negi bowed.

"Hmm...it would be best if you gained some practical experience...Let's make it from today to March." The headmaster smiled.

_Today? ! ? That's fast...although the boy isn't unprepared..._ Soren blinked.

"I'll do my best, I promise." Negi emphasised the statement with a nod.

"Hohoho...And what about you?" The headmaster looked at Soren.

"I have no experience teaching, however I know it is a difficult job. Perhaps my presence would assist Negi." Soren all but stared at the headmaster.

The headmaster smiled. "A teacher's aide, then. As for accommodations, I'm afraid I can't give you a room to yourselves, so I'll have to ask you to stay with some of the students. Negi-kun, you will be staying with Asuna-chan and Konoka, my granddaughter, and...?"

"Soren." Soren supplied.

"Soren, you will be staying with Evangeline-san and Chachamaru-chan, considering you obviously know about magic." The headmaster advised.

_There are people who don't know about magic...? It must have been kept secret... _"I see...Thank you." Soren nodded almost imperceptively.

Negi stared at Soren open-mouthed. Soren noticed this, and looked at the headmaster. "Which class, and when do we start." It was said as a statement, not a question.

"3A, in 5 minutes." The headmaster handed him a map. Soren scanned it briefly, before walking out the door.

"I should introduce you to your guidance officer, Shizuna-sensei. Shizuna-kun!"

Shizuna came in through a side door, and smiled at Negi. "I'll walk you to class, don't worry."

Negi walked out with his superior.

.

Shizuna and Negi saw Soren waiting outside.

"Negi should go in first, as he is their teacher." Soren began. "However..." He looked up, where a blackboard eraser was wedged.

"Oh..." Negi understood.

Negi opened the door, making a point of dodging the falling eraser, however walked straight into the tripwire, causing a bucket to fall. Soren dashed forwards and grabbed the object, however Negi tumbled forwards, and was tagged by the arrows.

There was some laughter, however not as much as Soren expected. It seemed they were horrified that they caught a 'kid' in their prank.

"So-sorry about that! We thought you were the new teacher!"

"You got who you were aiming for, then." Soren commented, raising eyebrows.

"Huh?" One person asked, although he couldn't begin to guess who.

"That's right! He _is_ your new teacher. Come on, introduce yourself." Shizuna smiled at Negi.

"...O-ok...Um...H-hi, my name is Negi Springfield, and I'll be teaching mag-uh, english at this school. I'll only be here for 3 terms, but it's nice to meet you all." Negi bowed.

_It came out in a rush. He's very nervous._ Soren noted.

"He's so cute! ! !" half the class yelled, and bombarded him with questions and hugs.

"Who are you, then?" Yue asked flatly.

"Teacher's aide." Shizuna filled in. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

Soren nodded. "Hello. I am Soren Nasir, and a friend of Negi Springfield. I don't know much about english, so I'm more moral support." Soren nodded toward Yue, and walked toward Negi, plucking him out from the middle of the crowd.

"Ok girls, he has all the credentials to be a teacher, however he _is_ younger than you, so treat him nicely, ok?" Shizuna smiled, and left the room.

"Ok! Uh, before I begin class, the principal has said that I will be staying with Asuna-san and Konoka-san, and-" Negi was cut off by the screams of shock, and various other emotions.

"Wha? Do I even get a say in this?" Asuna asked him, grabbing his collar.

Soren saw Ayaka go to stand, however he thought it would be best to establish his position in the class. "Asuna." Everyone's eyes focused on him. "If you have a problem with the decision, raise it with the principal. Negi cannot override it, so let go of him." Soren stared at her, quite bored.

Asuna looked at him, open-mouthed.

Soren continued on. "Besides, I think the person I will be boarding with will be even less impressed than you are." Soren looked at Eva, who was quite smug up until then.

"You're kidding..." Eva stared at him, proving his prediction correct. Eva stood up, and walked out of the classroom, probably to have an argument with the principal. Soren sighed, and looked at Negi.

"Uh, right! Ok, everyone! Um, first, turn to page 128 and..." Negi reached up and couldn't touch where he wanted on the blackboard. Soren realised this, but Ayaka had already pulled out a stool of some description and was walking towards Negi. He caught her eye, and nodded, basically saying she could offer it to him.

"Sensei, take this stepping stool..." Ayaka smile at him.

"T-thank you, miss Iinchou-san..." Negi stood on it, and found he could just barely reach it with the stool.

This didn't stop Ayaka from offering to hold him up, but Negi politely refused this.

Asuna, however, wasn't paying attention to Negi at all. Rather, she noticed that Soren had moved abnormally fast to grab the bucket of water that nearly fell on Negi, and the way he held himself, like he was in complete control, seemed off to her.

She wasn't upset with him for making her look like an idiot in front of the whole class. Not at all.

She pulled a bit of her rubber apart, and fired it at him. Soren caught it, sent her a glare that could reverse global warming. It wasn't expressive, just very, _very_ cold.

_He caught it? ! ? Red eyes...? How did I not see that before?_ Asuna wrenched her gaze from him and focused on the lesson, what little there was left. 5 minutes later, the bell rang, and class was over.

.

Soren was walking around by himself when he ran into Evangeline and Chachamaru.

"I take it you spoke with the principal." Soren stated. Not a question.

"Yes, you can stay..." Eva's face took on an evil look. "If you can find it." Eva laughed to herself as she walked off.

_Two can play this game, Evangeline. I hope you're an early riser..._ Soren smirked evilly himself. He might not be getting any sleep tonight, but she brought this on herself.

.

"Where does Evangeline live?" Soren asked the principal.

"Oh? I'll get her to show you-" The principal seemed amused, but was cut off by Soren.

"No, I believe I can deal with this myself." Soren turned down that offer.

"Very well... she lives in the middle of the forest. Here." The headmaster gave him another map, that showed mainly the outskirts of the school.

"Thank you." Soren left the office.

.


	2. Introductions

It was a long time to wait, but it was finally time to put his plan into motion.

"3:58 am..." _It would have been a lot easier for you if you'd just accepted it..._ Soren walked up to the door, and opened it. Not loudly, but the same couldn't be said for how he shut it.

He heard little footsteps, before a door slammed open. "What do you-!" Eva yelled before it registered Soren was inside her house.

"You could have avoided this if you just showed me where you live." Soren explained. He was impressed with the place. _Reminds me of the lodge the mercenaries used...a life long gone._ Soren inwardly smirked. "Were you having a nice dream?"

Eva growled at him. She was about to say something, but Soren beat her to it.

"Hmm, it's a bit late to go to sleep now, isn't it?" He shook his head. "No helping it now. Good night, Evangeline." Soren left the building, and Eva speechless.

She was pissed, and very much awake...

.

Soren wandered aimlessly. That was a bigger success than he'd thought.

"I'll make it happen somehow by myself." Asuna told Negi, as she walked away.

"How are your roommates?" Soren asked.

Negi jumped as high as he was tall. "Do-don't scare me like that, Soren-san...They're really nice, both of them. What about yours?"

"I don't know yet. I didn't sleep last night." Soren replied easily.

Negi reached for his locker, which was on the highest row.

"How stupid can..." Soren sighed and opened it for him, grabbing the contents and handing it to him.

Ayaka walked over. "Good morning Negi-sensei, Soren-sensei. I'll show you the way to the classroom." Soren nodded.

"T-thank you, Iinchou-san..." Negi replied quietly.

"My name is Yukihiro Ayaka. Did you sleep well last night?" Ayaka asked.

"Yes, very well, Ayaka-san." Negi smiled.

They walked toward the classroom, and Soren was most left out of the conversation.

Not that he minded, though.

.

"G-good morning, Miyazaki-san." Negi addressed Nodoka.

"G-good morning..." Nodoka pulled her head back through the window, blushing.

Ayaka caught the eraser that was to fall on Negi's head, and the three of them walked inside.

Nodoka began the morning greeting, and class began.

Things were going well, until he asked someone to continue translating in his place. Everyone averted their gaze, and so Negi asked the person he was closest to at the time.

Asuna.

"Wha- why are you picking on me! ? !" Asuna screeched.

Soren mostly ignored the exchange, instead focusing on his roommates. Eva was sending him death glares, while Chachamaru seemed to be paying attention to the lesson/argument.

Asuna calmed down, which caught Soren's attention. He'd expected her to rant for quite a while longer...

"Jason fell off the top of a flower...spring arrived?" Asuna could tell she wasn't translating properly, but continued anyway. "Jason and the flower...um...ate brunch by tall tree...there were 100...bones...um...the bones...the tree's..." Asuna trailed off, trying to make sense of the symbols in front of her.

Soren looked at the rest of the class. Most of them were quietly giggling at Asuna's blunder.

Then Negi decided to put himself in the firing line. "Asuna-san, you're pretty bad at english, aren't you?"

Soren sighed, and got ready to interfere with the inevitable scuffle.

Several others pitched in, saying that was not all she was bad at, concluding that all she was good at was P.E.

As predicted, Asuna hoisted Negi up by the neck of his clothes. Soren took a step closer to the pair, however he saw Asuna flinch.

Curious, Soren let the event play out.

The result was Negi sneezing the clothes right off of Asuna.

Soren closed his eyes _and_ sighed. _And I thought Mist was trouble..._

.

Soren wandered the halls, until he came across a flustered Asuna trying to open a locked door.

"Having trouble?" Soren asked.

"I made Negi drink a love potion, and now he's locked in there with Honya-chan!" Asuna sounded hysterical.

Soren was unfazed. "I take it you know about magic then?" Asuna nodded. "Good... **Eternus ventus , stipo meus armo quod persevero per suus semita.** **(Eternal wind, gather around my arm and continue along its path.) Tornado.**" Soren punched forwards, and visible wind flew forth, knocked down the door, and threw the unfortunate Nodoka a good 5 feet away from Negi, whom she was previously on top of.

"Wah! ? ! Asuna-san? Soren-kun?" Negi looked like he'd run a marathon.

Asuna recovered remarkably quickly. "I'll carry Honya...I mean Miyazaki-kun."

Unknown to Soren, however, Chachamaru was watching the entire exchange. _Magic. Master will want to know about this._

.

"Sheesh, you're nothing but trouble, you know." Asuna grumbled.

"Thank you, Asuna-san. You and Soren-kun saved me." Negi smiled at them.

"I...didn't do anything..." Asuna looked away.

"I disagree." Soren looked at Asuna. "If you weren't there, I probably wouldn't have stopped."

Asuna blinked in surprise.

"See? Asuna-san _did_ help!" Negi exclaimed.

"Uh, yeah." Asuna looked away.

"Um, I'm sorry. I know I've only been causing you trouble, but still...why did you come and help me?" Negi asked, genuinely curious.

"I wasn't helping you, I was helping Honya-chan." Asuna said forcefully. She glared at Soren, silently screaming at him to keep his mouth shut.

"I should probably get some sleep. I think I need it." Soren excused himself, much to Asuna's relief.

_And make amends with my roommates..._ Soren thought. There was something..._off_...about the little girl. It would probably be better to have her as an ally, rather than an enemy.

.

The house was strangely silent. Soren wandered through the various rooms, actually observing the interior, unlike last time. The main hallway had several rooms branching off, leaving it very open, and yet also rather hidden. He found a basement, and entered. In the middle of the room, an orb surrounded by a faint magic circle rested. Soren recognised the pattern, it was a warp field of some kind.

Thinking this was where his roommates went, he stepped into the field, and vanished.

.

.

A few notes that won't be explained during the story.

Soren's prank on Eva is what caused her to resume her vampiric tendencies.

Soren is all but expressionless. He is as stony-faced as he is in the game, always wearing that bored, neutral expression.

And yes, Soren can be childish at times. He's very good at getting revenge.


	3. Past and present

Soren materialised in Eva's castle.

"**Heh heh heh...you fell into my trap...you cannot leave for 24 hours...**" Eva had angled her face in such a way that her face was mostly hidden, giving her a very evil appearance.

"...This place is...teeming...with magical energy...it's perfect..." Soren blinked. "Almost..." _If it didn't remind me so much of my father...and grandfather...this place would've been perfect. Why a castle, of all things?_

"...Are you even listening to me?" Eva asked, before she exploded into fury.

Soren continued to observe the place, completely ignoring the vampire "Intriguing..."

"...Master, I think you should quit while you're ahead." Chachamaru told her quietly.

"You mean when I'm ahead. It's 0 for 2 right now...I'll get him..." Eva whispered dangerously. She meant every word.

.

Soren walked around the castle, observing how close it was to the ocean, and also how high it was. _...Small person syndrome...?_ Soren thought. The place was massive, too large for Soren's comfort. And too clean, considering the location. _Perhaps I should ask Evangeline about this place. I should at least __**try**__ to be friends with her, despite how easy she is to tease..._ Soren took a deep breath, and walked back to where Eva and Chachamaru were when he entered.

.

Of course, they weren't there now. Why would they wait 2 hours for him? Soren sighed, and turned back to the building. Where would he find them? Soren closed his eyes to collect his thoughts. _Nothing to do, but take the first step._ Soren walked back into the castle, searching for his roommates.

Soren turned a corner and saw Eva in a bath, with Chachamaru scrubbing her back. He blinked in surprise, however that was the only outward sign of his emotion. No raised eyebrows, not even a twitch in his lip. He continued to walk up next to her, regardless.

"What is this place, Miss McDowell?" Soren had picked up during his wandering that addressing someone by their second name was a sign of respect, and also quite formal.

Eva looked up at him, surprised for two reasons. One, he wasn't even slightly embarrassed about her being naked, and two, he wasn't deliberately irritating her. Hell, he was even being formal with her! "Oh, so now you're being nice..." Eva taunted him.

"Pissing you off is no longer in my best interests." Soren replied airily.

Eva laughed a little at that. _So, he wants to be friends? He shouldn't let his guard down so easily...heh..._ "This is my private castle." she stood up, indicating the rather large structure. "I remember you noticed the high magic concentration, and that is why you didn't believe me when I said you would be trapped here for 24 hours, right?" Eva smirked at him.

"Not entirely. You wouldn't confine yourself for 24 hours here either, it would attract unwanted attention." Soren blinked.

Eva's smirk transformed into a leer. "_Neither_ of us will be leaving for 24 hours."

Soren re-evaluated her. _So she __**would**__ confine herself in order to detain me...I underestimated you, Evangeline._ Soren maintained his stony silence, eventually blinking once.

Eva slowly began developing a tick on her forehead. _Does he even __**have**__ emotion? ! ?_

"You made me come here for a purpose. What was that?" Soren asked.

_To get you back for waking me up yesterday, you bastard!_ Eva smirked. "I heard you were a mage, and-"

"I'm not a mage." Soren closed his eyes.

Eva remained silent, arching one of her eyebrows in a subtle attempt to get him to explain.

"The title of 'mage' is given to a practitioner of the arcane arts, is it not?" Soren asked her. Eva nodded slightly. "Whereas I am a master of the arcane arts." Soren said without even a hint of arrogance. "They, are given the title of 'sage', often preceded by their element of choice." Soren looked away, lost in thought. "However, that is nothing but a title..." _Ena, Shinon, Haar..._

(FLASHBACK)

Ashera raised her hand towards Micaiah. Soren hastily mouthed the words that made his most powerful lightning spell. "**Crusta levitas, tutela vestri vinco, quod premo vestri oppugno... (Shell of lightning, guard your master, and strike down your assailant...) Thoron!**"

The magic circle appeared under Micaiah's feet, and as Ashera's attack began to envelop Micaiah, the arc of lightning struck at the goddess, only to battle and eventually dissipate against her aura. There was a surge of light, and blue flames sprung up around Micaiah. They seeped into Ike's sword as the life left Micaiah's eyes. Ike looked at her fallen form, and back at Ashera. He ran the goddess through with the ethereal energy, but it was already too late for the silver-haired girl...

(END FLASHBACK)

_...Micaiah..._ "I could defend a castle by myself, face a battalion of trained soldiers...but I can't save my allies from a goddess' wrath...A sage indeed." Soren shook his head to clear them of his morbid thoughts.

_The Goddess' War! ? ! That was some 1500 years ago! ! ! _Eva slammed her mouth shut before he noticed her. "You're not human, are you?"

Soren's eyes snapped shut, and stayed that way for three seconds. "That word...has caused me much pain, over the years. I'm not completely human, no..."

_Half-breed...they get it a lot worse..._ Eva found herself sympathising with him. "Is it the eyes?"

"While unusual, no. The most incriminating evidence is this." Soren brushed his hair away to reveal the marking in the middle of the forehead. Eva leaned forward and squinted, trying to see it better.

"Master, if you keep moving all the time, I won't be able to wash you properly." Chachamaru chided her.

"What about you? You don't seem ordinary, either." Soren redirected the conversation towards Eva's past.

She sighed. "I'm not human either." She looked up to see Soren's expression, but that was a pointless exercise. It never changed. "I'm a Shinso, pure-blood vampire."

"A vampire is?" Soren asked bluntly.

Eva almost spluttered in disbelief. "How can you _not_ know what a vampire is?"

"I haven't been in contact with the world at large for more than 500 years..." Soren explained.

_And I've been a vampire for more than 500 years..._ "Ugh...A vampire requires blood to live." She found talking about her race repulsive. "We also don't age."

"Ah. How old are you, then?" Soren was curious.

Eva nearly exploded. "YOU NEVER ASK A WOMAN HOW OLD SHE IS! ! !"

Soren was completely unaffected by her rage. "How else am I going to find out?"

Eva face vaulted. "...I stopped aging 608 years ago." Eva hissed.

Soren blinked. _She looks about 10, so..._ "I'm only 3 years older than you are." Soren thought aloud.

Eva's eye twitched. "You said you fought a goddess! That was almost 1500 years ago, not 600!" Eva yelled.

"...I wasn't alive at the time of the Great Flood. I fought Ashera 600 years ago." Soren was mildly amused, however only a psychic could even guess at that.

"Tch...Stupid teachers..." Eva mumbled angrily. "Still, my kind was hunted by humans, so I had to move a lot."

"...We are more similar than I thought..." Soren walked away, considering what he had heard.

"I'M NOT FINISHED TALKING TO YOU YET! ! !" Eva's yell fell on deaf ears.

.

When Soren finally got out of the castle, he noticed only an hour had passed.

Still, something seemed off, so he went to check on Negi.

He entered the school grounds and heard several familiar voices. Pulling the door back, he unveiled the baths...and most of the class. He quickly took note of who was there, and saw Negi and Asuna down the back.

Seeing Asuna looking frantic, he thought she didn't want to be caught with Negi. So he decided to give them some cover. "Not here...hmm..." Soren shut the door, and closed his eyes, his equivalent of panting after an adrenaline rush. He heard Negi yell at Asuna to wait, and sighed. Sure enough, he heard the screams of shock, surprise and outrage. Then a yell of "Asuna wins!" from someone, although he couldn't tell who, followed by people filing out of the baths.

_Hmm...perhaps now that everyone's gone, I could wash myself as well. I don't trust Evangeline's castle._ Soren walked in after everyone had gone.

.

Eva burst in on Asakura's room.

"Uh, what are you doing here?" The owner of the room asked.

"You have cameras in the bathroom, right?" Eva asked flatly.

"I have _a_ camera, yes. Why?"

"Soren-_sensei_ never washes himself in my house, so maybe he will here, now that everyone's gone." Eva replied.

"Ooh, maybe I'll find out what he's hiding under all those clothes!" Asakura energetically flicked on various recording instruments, and a live feed from the bathroom appeared on the small screen.

.

Soren was about to remove his white cloak, when he sensed electricity flow to something that seemed like an eye in the wall.

He'd heard of these...cameras. _But the only people who have clearance to use this room would be...ah._ Soren turned his eyes to the camera, his mouth hidden by the hand that was removing his cloak. "**Levitas, offendo illic.(Lightning, strike there.) Thunder.**" He restrained the spell briefly, allowing himself to pass on a simple message. "Good night, girls." He waved his hand, and the circuitry was fried, rendering the camera useless.

.

"Damn!" Asakura banged a fist on the table, fuming.

Eva was only slightly more calm, chilling the very air with the little magical energy at her disposal. "...He's good." She admitted quietly. _A perfectly hidden, high precision spell, from the difficult to control thunder element...It seems 'sage' is a hard to earn title after all._

Now Eva _really_ wanted to knock him down a few pegs.

.

.

Soren's...not really good at making friends, is he? This story will mostly follow canon, with Soren either helping, or making things worse, depending on the situation.


	4. Clouded regrets

Soren had just woken up from the first rest he'd had in over 48 hours. He glanced at the clock.

_6:47 am...I've overslept._ 9 hours of sleep was far more than he usually slept, but he had just gone 2 days without rest. Something bothered him more than that, though. _Eva hasn't tried anything yet...where is she?_ He got up, looking around her house briefly, finding no trace of her or Chachamaru. _Hmm...may need to stay up late tonight, and find out more._ Closing his eyes, he regained his composure, and walked outside.

_Clouds...Looks like I won't be helping Negi today._ He walked towards Mahora.

.

Negi walked towards the classroom like usual, however he noticed Soren's absence. Considering this was only the third day, he was actually quite concerned.

"Where is Soren-sensei, Negi-sensei?" One student asked. Negi checked the roster, still trying to find out who was who.

"I'm not sure, um...Makie-san." He located her on the roster.

"Well, let's go find him." Another suggested. Negi glanced at the roster again.

"Asakura-san, I don't think that's such a good idea...I'm supposed to be teaching you..." Negi saw his class get more excited about searching for his assistant.

"Yeah! We'll make it a race!" Ku-Fei exclaimed, and more than half the class rushed out the door. In fact, only Chisame, Eva, Chachamaru, Nodoka, Yue and Asuna remained.

Negi sniffled. "I...I'll never make a good teacher..."

Asuna huffed. "This class will take any opportunity to ditch. Don't worry, Negi-sensei, I'll find him and then you can teach." Asuna walked out as well.

Eva blinked, she was waiting to get Soren when he walked in, but he didn't even show up? _But this could be the perfect chance to learn more about him, find out how to get under his skin..._ "Chachamaru, come on." Evangeline walked out as well, followed by the android.

Negi was nearly crying now, seeing even more of the class leave.

"Ah, N-Negi-Sensei...we're still here...don't cry..." Nodoka tried to cheer him up. It worked a little too, and he wiped his eyes.

"Thank you, Nodoka-san. Um, if you'll turn to page 132..."

.

Soren had reached the highest point a normal person could safely reach in Mahora academy, before he climbed out the window and scaled the tallest spire as well, just as the first raindrops fell.

"**Eternus ventus, redimio mihi quod congelo.****(Eternal wind, surround me and harden.) Aero.**"

His eyes glowed slightly, as did the marking on his forehead, and suddenly the raindrops splattered against an invisible barrier as he gazed into the dreary skies.

_Yune...are these tears of happiness, or anguish?_

.

"Maybe he's outside somewhere?" Chao suggested.

"You mean in the rain?" Ayaka asked.

Ku-Fei bolted outside, trying to be the first to find him.

"But if he's outside, he could be anywhere!" Fuuka pouted.

"We need to find him so he can help Negi-sensei teach!" Ayaka proclaimed, and followed Ku purposefully.

"He'll be somewhere where most people can't find him." Eva seemed lost in thought.

Chao raised an eyebrow, not thinking Evangeline would compete in this strange event. "Meaning?"

"I mean he doesn't do things without a purpose. Which means he has a reason for not being in class this morning. He won't just be wandering around, he's either doing something or it's because it's a rainy day." Eva elaborated. _My house...he might still be there. Has he not even woken up yet?_ Eva walked away to her cottage, thinking she'd find him there.

Chao thought on what she'd said. "...The roof, then."

.

Eva scoured her house, and then her castle, but she couldn't find even a trace of the annoying sage.

"Where is he! ? !" Eva fumed.

"Master, perhaps he's shown up to class now?" Chachamaru suggested.

_...Could he have waited here, and gave me the slip? That'd be just like him...I'll get my revenge on you yet, Soren Nasir!_

.

Kaede scaled the roof, and noticed the white-garbed figure she was looking for, staring up at the clouds. He was still dry, however. She decided to sneak up on him, seeing if she could change the expression on his face even slightly. Soren hadn't noticed until she was 20 paces away, and nothing in his posture had tipped her off about that fact yet.

"...**Eternus ventus, locus. (Eternal wind, locate.) Detect.**" He whispered into the rain as his eyes and forehead glowed briefly, feeling his magic in the breeze flow around raindrops as they fell, and a person standing behind him. The wind traced the outline of the person, allowing his mind to create a monochromic, 3D image. "...Kaede." He spoke with more volume, allowing her to hear this.

The ninja blinked, before grinning. "And I thought I was doing so well, too. What tipped you off, hm?"

"The rain sounds different when it bounces off people, rather than...the roof." Soren tapped his foot on the concrete roof, unsure of what the substance was called. He knew it wasn't stone.

Kaede's eyes widened, surprised he could hear such a small change in sound. "...The whole class is looking for you, you know."

Soren remained silent for a moment. "...I can't help him today."

"Why not?" Kaede walked up beside him, moving around to look at his face.

"..."

"Is it because of the rain?"

"...Partly." His expression hadn't changed, still looking at the sky.

As much as Kaede wanted to pry the information out of him, something told her that he was actually too hard for her to crack. "I'll listen if you want to talk." Well, for now at least.

"Hmph..." The sound was non-committal, but it wasn't a refusal. Kaede walked off the roof, heading back to the classroom.

_...Yune, next time try a sunshower. People like that more. You prefer it when people are happy, right?_

His answer was a break in the clouds. While the sun didn't shine through, it did add a little more cheer to the day.

.

.

Been far too long since I've updated this. Well, my muse is slowly coming back, right as exam period is starting. Probably a bad sign for my marks, but I wasn't doing so well anyway.

Let me know if the chapter seems off, it has been awhile.

Till next time, Senge.


	5. Ancient honour

Soren blinked.

"Negi, you don't need me to help you with 5 students. 30 I can understand, but considering my knowledge of English is practically non-existent, my presence would only be a burden there."

"B-But...you're supposed to be my aide!" Negi seemed desperate.

"And you're supposed to learn how to be a teacher. You won't learn that with me hovering over your shoulder. Discover where the holes in their knowledge are, help them understand what they are missing, and work with them on that." Soren held back a sigh.

"Ah...? Oh! I see now! I'll give them practice tests!" Negi beamed happily, thinking of a way to help his students. "And then I'll learn what they need help with!"

Soren nodded. "Much better. Now go, they need your help." Negi turned and walked towards his catch-up class.

"Sound advice." A voice came from behind him.

"Shizuna." Soren turned to face the woman.

"My my, should you address me so familiarly?" She smiled, not quite a smirk.

"These...honorifics...you all insist on are rather pointless in my opinion. A name is all that's required to address a person, no matter their station or relationship status." Soren replied neutrally.

Shizuka looked away. "I see...do you like helping Negi-kun?"

"Yes. In a way, helping him makes me feel important."

"Oh? Would you care to elaborate?" Shizuka seemed to have shaken off Soren's previous comment.

"Not particularly. Either way, I need to discover what Evangeline has planned for me. Good day." Soren turned and walked away.

"...He really is a strange one..."

.

Soren kept his eyes trained for whatever Evangeline would no doubt have planned, but instead got treated to the sight of her in darker clothing as she was walking out of the house. At this point in the afternoon, it struck him as strange, but instead of following her, he decided to speak up now.

"Well, this is certainly interesting. Where might you be going at this hour?" Soren asked her before she could disappear from sight.

Her reaction was worth it, too. "W-Wha...? ! ? I-It's none of your business!" Her face flushed, thought it was difficult to tell whether this was anger or embarrassment.

"Perhaps not, but following you is now far more appealing than getting some rest. Care for a stroll?" If Soren was one to smirk, he would most certainly be doing so now.

Chachamaru now also exited the house, seemingly calm. "Master, what do you wish me to do?"

"Him following us is not an option." Evangeline pulled a few small potions out, to which Soren blinked.

"...Understood." Chachamaru stood in front of Eva, settling into a combat stance.

Soren felt more conscious of the hidden weight in his sleeve. He'd expected an eventual confrontation with the vampire, but not with his other housemate.

(FLASHBACK)

The survivors of the group exited the base of the Tower of Guidance with heavy hearts. Of the 12 that went in, only 5 survived. Ike, Sothe, Kurthnaga, Volke, and Soren. He'd suspected everyone would like to be left alone, but was surprised when Sothe of all people approached him.

"Soren, I...Thank you, for..." Sothe tried to hold back tears. 4 years he'd searched for Micaiah, and when he'd finally found her, he only had a few months before she was cruelly snatched away, although far more permanently than last time.

"I understand, Sothe...But I failed." Soren looked away. He didn't need to see this man break down again.

"...Here." Sothe held out the golden knife he'd been using, looking at the ground. Peshkatz. Soren looked at it, taken off-guard. "Whenever I see it, all I'll be able to think of is how I failed her. You tried to help..."

"Sothe, even if I tried, she still died. I can't accept a reward for failure." Soren attempted to push his hand away, but instead felt a searing glare from the grieving man.

"Just take it, damn it!" Sothe could barely see straight, through the tears and rage. Soren took an involuntary step back, knowing that Sothe was already unstable when it came to Micaiah. Her death, when right in front of him as he was powerless to stop it...

"...Alright, Sothe." Soren took the knife from his hand.

Sothe was panting, but recollected himself enough to speak three more words. "Make her proud."

Soren stared down at the offered knife. "I will. She was an inspiration to us all."

Sothe fell to his knees as the emotions became too much to bear again, and Soren sighed heavily, silently cursing his lack of power. _If only I were stronger...I'll get there, Micaiah. I won't be powerless to stop a tragedy I see coming any longer._ He turned to Ike, and walked up beside him, determination set in his features.

(FLASHBACK END)

Soren felt the power of his magic flowing though his forehead and eyes, preparing for the coming conflict. He wouldn't inflict fatal damage, as his control was now too great to do so accidentally.

Eva saw this as a hostile move, and threw two vials it him, which crashed together creating a spiked wall of ice that surged towards the sage...but merely grew around him without even marking his clothes. While obscured, Soren waved his right hand to make a show of how easy it was to brush off her attack, however Chachamaru had taken full advantage of his distraction with a powerful right punch aimed at his head. Soren reacted instantly, catching her fist in her left hand, however his strength was inferior to the android.

SNAP

"Tchrr..." Soren ground out as quiet as a whisper as his wrist broke, ducking under her still-moving fist while spinning, stretching his left leg out for a roundhouse kick to her midriff, which connected solidly and sent her towards a tree. Glaring at Eva, his composure nearly broken by the unexpected power in the mage's partner, Soren proved just how powerful he could be. "**Aer, eo! (Air, travel!)**" A broad wave of strong winds rushed towards Eva, tinged with green energy as his forehead blazed angrily. Chachamaru righted herself in midair and kicked off the tree to save her master, grabbing her cloak with one hand and plunged the other into the earth to anchor herself.

Soren regained his calm, rolling his left ankle experimentally under his robes, hidden from sight. _Sprained...physical combat with Chachamaru is unwise, she is a well-made golem. Any magic capable of injuring her, and I'm not aware of the threshold, much less what's safe to use on her, would more than likely cause lasting damage to Evangeline..._

"Master...he used no activation key for that spell." Chachamaru informed Eva, in case it had slipped her notice. "Also, I believe I have broken his wrist."

Eva shook her head to dispel the shock of the magic that nearly blew her away. "Well, it looks like you're at a disadvantage, _Nasir-kun_." Eva sneered, now confident in her victory. "Do you have anything to say? I might let you off easy if you surrender."

Soren closed his eyes. "...Chachamaru. Where is your memory and awareness located?"

Chachamaru removed her hand from the ground. "My head. Why do you ask?"

He reopens his eyes slowly. "I may have to incapacitate you. I would like to avoid damaging either."

Chachamaru blinks in surprise, along with Evangeline. "You still think you can win?" Eva asks incredulously.

In response, Soren shifts his damaged left side forward, keeping his weight on his right. "Evangeline, you are simply not on my level."_ Chachamaru does not wish for this conflict, and will try for a peaceful solution if it is presented. In order for Evangeline to stand down, she must be removed from the battle. Therefore, I must goad Chachamaru into attacking me._ Soren narrows his eyes slightly, which the other two return by settling into combat-ready stances. _Yune, give me strength._ Evangeline throws another two potions at Soren, which he leaps between towards the pair. Chachamaru mirrors his action, throwing another right punch but towards his core. Soren's hand disappears within his robe as his right arm comes up, matching the alignment of the android's punch so that her arm goes into his robe as well.

A high pitched screeching sound follows, and Soren is pulled along by Chachamaru's momentum. Said android backs away from the downed sage, wide-eyed and with an uncontrollably spasming right arm wreathed in blue flames. "E-Error...?"

"Cha-Chachamaru!" Eva exclaims with horror.

"I warned you." Soren painfully regains his feet, but doesn't let this show through on his face.

"What have you done to her! ? !" The small vampire yells at him.

"Perhaps your first objective should be to diagnose the issue. I'll not help, because your actions forced me to do that." Soren walks past her to the house, intending to begin treating his own injuries.

"Why...you...!" Eva rounds on him, prepared to strangle him if that's all she can do.

Soren glances over his shoulder, his only visible eye glowing red in warning. "It's not fatal. Treat her." And with that, Soren leaves her behind.

.

.

Whew, Soren's first time being caught off-guard. Tensions have risen drastically between the tenants, and yet Evangeline was soundly beaten again. But Soren is not happy with the outcome either, if you couldn't tell.

I think that's the last flashback, too. If anyone wants more, review or pm. I can't say I expect requests of that kind, though.

Now, onto another issue, I'm opening a poll on my page. I've recently played through Fate/stay night, and the idea of Soren having a reality marble intrigues me. He's had hundreds of years alone, so I don't think it would be far-fetched. That said, I can only think of two occasions I would use it in this fic. The vote will remain open for quite some time, so have a think, and research if you need to. I already have the aria and ability down, so don't worry about that.

That's all for now.

Senge.


End file.
